Slashdot Mirror


Former Exec Who Said Facebook Was 'Destroying Society' Still Loves Facebook (gizmodo.com)

Remember that former Facebook exec who felt "tremendous guilt" about creating tools "that are ripping apart the social fabric of how society works"? He's now walking back his criticism -- at least somewhat. Gizmodo reports: Palihapitiya said that he believes that "Facebook is a force for good in the world," and went on to express his belief that the social network is really trying to make its platform less of a hellish garbage fire of misinformation and election interference. "Facebook has made tremendous strides in coming to terms with its unforeseen influence and, more so than any of its peers, the team there has taken real steps to course correct," he wrote in the post... Facebook is certainly trying to soothe naysayers who think the platform might be rotting the brains of our youth -- a viewpoint that Sean Parker, Facebook's first president, essentially expressed last month... For Palihapitiya's part, Thursday night's statement wasn't a total reversal of his original claims, but seemingly an apologetic gesture toward Facebook (or perhaps friends still working at the company). Yes, social media has the capacity to utterly destroy us, but can't you see that Facebook is trying to be better?
His post argues social media platforms "have been used and abused in ways that we, their architects, never imagined.

"Much blame has been thrown and guilt felt, but the important thing is what we as an industry do now to ensure that our impact on society continues to be a positive one."

46 comments

  1. George said it best by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    He loved Big Brother.

  2. Translation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    He's remorseful, but he still wants and expects the financial and career benefits that accrued from his past association with FB.

    And if any positions open up on the board, pls keep him in mind.

  3. So... by Templer421 · · Score: 1

    Was he bribed or threatened?

    1. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He got a lesson in The Narrative (TM), complete with fake news and muh Russia talking points.

    2. Re:So... by vlad30 · · Score: 1

      Was he bribed or threatened?

      No he just realised how many facebook shares he still had

      --
      Your'e all thinking it, I just said it for you
    3. Re:So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Stick and carrots work best combined.

    4. Re:So... by Miser · · Score: 1

      Yup. Sounds like someone got a talking to .... :)

      If you have convictions, you stick with them. Obviously his bread is being buttered by someone else .....

  4. Hate by hackwrench · · Score: 1

    Haters gotta hate.

  5. What Facebook is by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Facebook is a force for whatever the nature is of the people who use it.

    After I was required to open a facebook account for what I am working on, family and friends found me. Some of them are a little interesting. The tragedy of the commons effect where the worst people who are yelling the loudest did a pretty good job of silencing decent folk, and the little endorphin buzz that many get from likes and replies allowed others to become addicted even as much of Facebook was upsetting or angering them.

    The major shitstorm happened after teenagers largely abandoned Facebook and older people took over. So you have a addictive venue with a lot of assholes in the mix.

    --
    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  6. Remorse? by evanh · · Score: 1

    That's not a "but", that's a because he still wants ... It's a beaten into him remorse. Probably even his own wife was yelling.

    The public think FB is wonderful even for something as pathetic as "Messenger". Yet, email confuses them. Sigh!

    1. Re: Remorse? by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 1

      I don't have a horse in this race, but don't conflate Messenger with email or text. The latter methods don't guarantee delivery or provide handshaking (we call those "connectionless").

      --
      Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
  7. Unforseen? Never imagined? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That is complete bullshit. How do you design a service to be addictive so users keep coming back and not foresee that it will be addictive? How do you design the service to promote popular "trending" topics and not foresee that popular isn't always good? It's not like we don't have any examples... smoking, tobacco, sweetened caffeinated beverages...

    Any form of abuse related to facebook that has been in the news was already known to them for a long time before the story broke and each time they did nothing until it was public and people were outraged. Not saying they had a legal obligation to do anything but they knew what they were doing and claiming they never imagined the consequences is disingenuous.

    Unethical? Guilty as charged.

  8. Re: Bump stocks are far worse for society than FB by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Go back to whatever socialist commie shithole you came from, the last thing this country needs is more gun control.

  9. More like... by Oligonicella · · Score: 1

    His post argues social media platforms "have been used and abused in ways that we, their architects, never imagined.

    More like ignored those saying that all along because there was money to be made. That position is not a new discovery.

  10. Did he blink out the word 'TORTURE' in morse code? by Hal_Porter · · Score: 1

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    Denton is widely known for enduring almost eight years of grueling conditions as an American prisoner of war (POW) in North Vietnam after his jet was shot down in 1965, and being the first of all the POWs that were held captive and finally released by Hanoi to step off an American plane during Operation Homecoming in February 1973. As one of the earliest and highest-ranking officers to be taken prisoner in North Vietnam, Denton was forced by his captors to participate in a 1966 televised propaganda interview which was broadcast in the United States. While answering questions and feigning trouble with the blinding television lights, Denton blinked his eyes in Morse code, spelling the word "TORTURE" -- and confirming for the first time to U.S. Naval Intelligence that American POWs were in fact being tortured.

    --
    echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
  11. Tech journalists obsessed with garbage fires by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Everything is a garbage fire or a dumpster fire now. Don't they have some more original terms for things they find distasteful?

    1. Re:Tech journalists obsessed with garbage fires by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      This is the ninth "walking back" story today. And it's not like Helen Shapiro said, because they aren't leading me to happiness.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  12. Hmm ... this reminds me of somebody ... by Krishnoid · · Score: 1

    Someone who can find value and fulfillment in things while believing that those same things harm society. Takes a certain level of thinking to be able to simultaneously give both concepts the consideration they deserve.

  13. That big dumpster ... by evanh · · Score: 1

    called Facebook.

  14. Re: Upsetting by hackwrench · · Score: 1

    Facebook wasn't upsetting them. If one topic begins to upset you, unfollow those groups and choose topics that don't.

  15. hahahaha by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Two things....
    They possibly offer $$$ to keep him quiet or they threated him.
    It's easy to see that those large IT companies control the press and all the news on the digital world. As we almost don't see anything about them, the only the only thing we usually see is some article glofirying them.

  16. Two words by DaMattster · · Score: 1

    Fuck Facebook!

  17. Well golly gee! Thanks Slashdot! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm so very happy to hear that! For a second there I thought he was going to have it all shut down. Heh, what wouldn't YOU pay to see the reaction to that??

    Seriously, the weather... What the hell is the matter with you people?! Maybe hecklers are all you want here now, eh? Really, this story sets a new record on 'stupid'...

  18. Facebook sucks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Surprised anyone still uses it

  19. Re: Upsetting by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

    Facebook wasn't upsetting them. If one topic begins to upset you, unfollow those groups and choose topics that don't.

    You are right about what you should do, but they often get into nasty arguments first. I will scoot out of a group of asshats pretty quickly. Facebook is trying a little to clean up, but we'll see how that goes.

    Its going to be a popcorn moment for some coming up. FB has been trying to shut down a lot of the Sexism flame wars. A lot of the women are now getting angry. Seems it started out with shutting out mostly men, but apparently its now not okay to say that all men should be shot, or that its cause for a celebration when one dies. I have a couple close relatives that suddenly stopped posting, and it appears they got a little too vigorous with their misandry.

    Let us all be excellent to each other.

    --
    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  20. They got to him by nospam007 · · Score: 1

    Obviously.

  21. Learn the difference by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 1

    Facebook isn't a force, it is a tool

    --
    Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
  22. Rick James! by tanimislam · · Score: 1

    Cocaine is a hell of a drug! -Rick James

  23. No conflating here by evanh · · Score: 1

    Thing is, average Joe bloggs is using Facebook's "Messenger" as an email substitute. To the point where many people are joining up just to use that one feature all because they don't know how to reply-all!

    1. Re:No conflating here by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 1

      I'm sorry, but that simply isn't correct. There are numerous features that Messenger offers that email does not,including nationwide contact discovery.

      --
      Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
    2. Re: No conflating here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you are a goddamn idiot nerd

    3. Re: No conflating here by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 0

      I hate Schmuckerberg, but this isn't a conversation about personalities. It is a technical discussion. IOW, you aren't really qualified to join it. Off you go now ...

      --
      Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
  24. Just like the Chinese Government by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The Chinese government often exert pressure on people to revoke statements by coercing or splashing money around or both. Whilst the first statement he made made sense, this sounds like generic PR talk. Something he is forced to say. Unfortunately the general public is too dumb to read between the lines

  25. The guy was right the first time. by beep54 · · Score: 1

    Facebook IS destroying society and should be stopped (in a sane and just world; i.e. it won't happen).

  26. waah waah waah by cas2000 · · Score: 1

    "We built a compulsively addictive brainwashing and spying propaganda machine and got caught renting it to some people who wanted to use it to bullshit to and brainwash and spy on billions of people. We could never have imagined that"

  27. FB leaned on him by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    > Palihapitiya said that he believes that "Facebook is a force for good in the world,"

    Well that sure as fuck isn't what he said a few days ago. FB is now one of the most powerful corporations in the world. Force for good my ass:


    • A War of Words Puts Facebook at the Center of Myanmar's Rohingya Crisis - The New York Times
    • At Least 6,700 Rohingya Died in Myanmar Crackdown, Aid Group Says - The New York Times
    • Is This Genocide? - The New York Times

    On that subject pathetic when the Pope refused to mention by Rohingya by name. Like talking about the holocaust and refusing to say the word "Jew".
     
    Power corrupts absolutely

  28. I've read that book.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother.

  29. Re: Bump stocks are far worse for society than FB by interkin3tic · · Score: 1

    You must be new here, it's called trolling.

    Anyway, let's focus on one thing to be outraged at, I'm saving my venom for the chiropractic industry, which is a scam.

  30. "Well he would say that, wouldn't he?" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    ...In the immortal words of Mandy Rice-Davies

  31. More damage control by slshdtisctrldbysjws · · Score: 2

    Facebook is evil and everyone with a brain knows it.

    Facebook was so invested in because its potential to break down society was realized by its big investors. It wasn't a shot in the dark with their billions of dollars. It wasn't a surprise that social media would transform our society. They knew what it was to become and it profits them immensely.
    Why do they want to break down society? Because they want to increase the level of control they have. Instead of programming society on the scale of groups, they want to control every atom; every individual, and open up new roads to exponentially more power.

    People always explain away things like this saying "well that's just what people want and the company is just giving them what they want and making money, so this isn't really bad, this is progress! There's no conspiracy! People are smart, they aren't so easily suckered into things! They know what's good!"

    The thing is that people are actually not that picky. They will accept just about ANY given solution for their basic needs as long as authority backs it consistently enough. So it becomes a question of what exactly we are progressing towards and who's interest it really is in.

    Humans are not some transcendent creature with the guarantee of self awareness and intellect and rationality because of how much inherently better they are than all other life on Earth. These are optional features supported by a certain way of life. If you take away the nuances from the human way of life, if you take away the culture that support these higher functions, people go into "backward compatibility mode"; they re-adapt to a simpler, savage, prehistoric world. Simply put they devolve.

    While most people don't know themselves well enough to see this, there are people who know this about humanity, and they know about it deeply. These people are leaders.
    Leaders either choose to try to raise people up to their own level of awareness or leaders choose to plunge people down so they can never rise up. Leaders choose either cooperation or enslavement.

    Humans are tribal creatures. They are beyond racist. They are beyond nepotistic. They will kill members of their own families who displease them. Humans are not only genocidal by default, they a fratricidal by default.
    We can see this at every point in our history. We can see this in our close relatives like the chimpanzee that continue to live a way of life that we departed from eons ago.

    Leaders cooperate and enslave in degrees. The closer you are to directly supporting the substance of the leader, that is, the more you share in common with the leader that you align with that leader's will, the more cooperation you will receive. The further, the more enslavement you will receive, up to the point that when your interests drift sufficiently you are immediately killed or otherwise neutralized.
    What this amounts to is simple: as time goes on you will only become more distant and unable to adapt to the leader. The leader's own will replace everyone else. Eventually you drift into the zone of no return in relation to a current leader and unless the leader changes, your line will end: you, your family, your children all die and there are no more children thereafter.
    Usually this takes a long time, so long that the diverse interests in the world shift and leaders change and most tribes survive at least long enough to make a compromise and intermingle with the dominant tribe. But things are becoming unusual: power is being consolidated on unprecedented scales with unprecedented stability, and it is making ever more exacting demands on its subjects as their numbers swell to challenge the Earth's ability to sustain them.
    Humanity's genocidal nature has risen to the surface.

    This all sounds very grim, until you consider the fact we've been up and down this situation for millions of years and have some pretty good solutions to the pitfalls and the problems that lead to them.
    All the machinery is in place for us to CHOOSE our own leaders. A

    --
    My karma was manually wiped by site staff https://slashdot.org/~slshdtisctrldbysjws 18 mod up, 10 mod down = bad karma
  32. I abandoned Facebook by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Because it was filled with Jesus freaks and other such lameness. Account closed and expired

  33. Zuck 9000: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm sorry, Chamath, but I can't let you do that ;)

  34. fackbook indoctrinates all it touches by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Facebook isn't a force, it is a tool

    facebook isn't a tool, its advocates are tools

    just think, you've been enslaved but your brain is too primitive to understand the concept

    1. Re: fackbook indoctrinates all it touches by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 1

      I didn't advocate for anything. I merely stated a fact.

      --
      Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
  35. "Still loves Facebook". Or else. by greencfg · · Score: 1

    This should be the title, really.